In 1973, William Goldman "abridged" The Princess Bride, a tale of fencing, giants, torture, chases, escapes, and of course true love. 14 years later, Rob Reiner directed the film, which was nominated for an Oscar (among others) and won several awards including the Hugo award for "Best Dramatic Presentation." Today, there is a new version being released on mobile streaming service Quibi.
Now that people have so much time on their hands due to coronavirus, the iconic cult classic has been selected by Quibi for a home-brew series featuring an entirely new cast. The lineup is excellent, with Tiffany Haddish (known for playing Shay in The Last O.G.) starring as Buttercup and rapper/actor Common playing Wesley.
This remake of The Princess Bride will truly be a sign of the times. The film industry has been dramatically affected by the pandemic, to the point that numerous filmmakers have hit the 'pause' button on production, so the whole series is being made at the actors' homes with camera phones in order to promote social distancing. While this style of filming does not guarantee any awards for cinematography, homebrew filming does give future viewers a snapshot view of 2020's impact.
The fact that the parts of Buttercup and Wesley in the initial short are being played by Black actors only drives home the fact that civil rights are front and center in the collective consciousness. The entertainment industry is making great strides to set things right on the inclusivity front, including The Academy, which is changing its bylaws to promote equality.
Other actors who will be appearing in the series include Elijah Wood, Neil Patrick Harris, Hugh Jackman, and Jack Black, who seems to have finally shaved his beard to play the role of the grandson. Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas even gender-flipped the starring roles, with Sophie as Wesley and Joe as Buttercup.